Why The Islanders Signed Ben Hutton To A PTO & What Comes Next

Why did the Islanders sign Ben Hutton to a PTO? A look at his potential role, the impact on Isaiah George, and what Pete DeBoer had to say.

PHOTO: Madison Peyser / New York Islanders

EAST MEADOW, NY — On Sunday, the New York Islanders signed 33-year-old left-shot defenseman Ben Hutton to a professional tryout (PTO).

The move came after the club announced that right-shot defenseman Ryan Pulock would miss 2-4 weeks with an upper-body injury.

The question is: Why Hutton? What can he bring to the Islanders, and what’s the former Stanley Cup champion's end goal here?